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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Youtube's Google+ Integration: GET OVER IT!

With thousands of comments protesting the new integration, with almost 200,000 signatures on the anti-google petition, the infamously titled "me" generation has once again shown their belief that if they scream loud enough someone will give them what they want.

Google's attempt to 'glue' all of its products together (Gmail, Youtube, Blogger, etc) has come under fire for destroying anonymity and forcing users to sign up for Google Plus in order to comment on Youtube videos. The change, which apparently has upset a handful of popular Youtubers (big deal) has once again shown people's unwillingness to change, even if it's for the better. Remember, Facebook's timeline, you didn't like that did you? A year later and no one's complaining. However, in the case of Google+ the backlash is much greater and Google really should have followed Facebook's 'two steps forward, one step back' routine to gain support from the public and then slowly roll out the Google+ features again.Google Plus ISN'T a Social Network. It's Google's Super Glue.

From it's launch back in 2011, Google+ was always seen as a Twitter/ Facebook rival, but thats only partially true. The integration allowed for all of Google's "social networking" services to come together; "Google Buzz" from Gmail, "Google Friend Connect" from blogs, and now comments from Youtube would be able to be accessed all in one place. Before Google Plus, if you wanted to start a blog you would sign up for Blogger (Google owned), if you wanted to put advertising on that blog you would sign up to Adsense (Google owned), if you wanted to see in-depth how many people were visiting your blog you signed up for Google Analytics, and if you wanted to follow a blog you would have to sign up for a Google Friend Connect. Now, you don't need to.
Google+ allows users to utilize a single account to access all of its products and I believe the negative response towards the update is unjustified. Google has since responded to the petition (pictured above), apologising, but is sticking with the Google+/Youtube integration. Sorry.